1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a control method therefor, as well as a program for implementing the control method, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that performs printout according to the preferences of a user and a control method therefor, as well as a program for implementing the control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there have come into use multifunction printers (hereinafter referred to as “the MFPs”) which are formed by adding a printer function, a FAX transmission/reception function, a scanned image transmission/reception function, and an e-mail transmission/reception function to a copying machine having a copying function. This makes it possible to enhance efficiency of users' office work and attain space saving.
Manufacturers developing MFPs have been making the MFP even more multifunctional to thereby further enhance the users' work efficiency. Recently, the manufacturers are studying the personalization and customization of an MFP, and the linking of the operation of the same with a scheduler application for a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “the PC”)
The following is an example of the prior art of the MFP of the above-mentioned kind. The MFP is provided with a destination management table that associates destinations to which a copy of an original is to be distributed, with identification codes, respectively, and defines output means corresponding to the destinations, and a group number management table that stores group numbers each designating a plurality of arbitrarily selected destinations, and identification codes associated with the destinations belonging to the number. When a group number is input to the MFP, the MFP determines destinations designated by the group number. Then, by looking up the destination management table, the MFP delivers image information of an original, read by a scanner, to the destinations, using respective associated output means (see e.g. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H06-276337).
Further, there have been proposed techniques of enhancing operability of users, such as a technique “for an apparatus that forms a back by detecting a header and a footer e.g. during case binding, in which a font size is changed depending on the amount of characters in the header and the footer” and a technique “for a dot impact printer in which when data using an unprintable font size has been input, the font size is changed to a printable font size” (see e.g. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2001-320575).
In the above conventional MFP, however, e.g. when a conference material is printed, there is a possibility of execution of various type of printing, such as “N in 1” printing (printing of N pages of an original on one side of each sheet), double-sided printing, or a combination of these, depending on the preferences of a person responsible for printing the conference material. As a result, if persons having difficulty in reading small characters or the like are among the presentees of the conference material or presentees of the conference, they sometimes find distributed conference material difficult to read.
Further, some presentees of the conference may request reprinting of the conference material after the conference is closed, due to their preferences of particular print settings. This requires the material to be printed a plurality of times.